


you said you'd lend me anything, i think i'll have your company

by beinmyheart



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Humor, Friends With Benefits, Friends to Lovers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-29
Updated: 2017-04-02
Packaged: 2018-05-29 21:25:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,018
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6394444
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beinmyheart/pseuds/beinmyheart
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>College 'verse.</p><p>There's something happening between her and Oliver, a limbo of sorts - more than friends but not quite reached relationship status- that has been going on for months now and it's to the point where it can't be left unresolved any longer.</p><p>A series of unchronological one shots following Felicity and Oliver's relationship and the mischief they get up to in college.</p><p>Prompts welcome :)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Birthday Loves

**Author's Note:**

> College AU. This was based on a photo I saw of SA being on a motorcycle for TMNT press tour.  
> Enjoy :)

* * *

**Saturday 16th May, 2015. 9:17pm. Queen Mansion.**

 

For the second time that day, Felicity enters the Queen Mansion.   
  
Earlier, she had left Oliver and Tommy with an eye roll as the boys surrounded themselves with bottles of alcohol and taking shots while they set up the bar for Oliver's birthday.  
  
But this time around, Felicity is a ball of nerves because the next time she leaves this house, in some way or another, her life will be changed _forever_.  
  
There's something _happening_ between her and Oliver, a limbo of sorts - more than friends but not quite reached relationship status- that has been going on for months now and it's to the point where it can't be left unresolved any longer. They've promised each other that after tonight, they would have the 'talk' and tell each other how they felt.  
  
And if that doesn't cause a shit load of butterflies to flutter like nothing else in her stomach, Felicity doesn't know what will.  
  
She smoothes the imaginary creases in her flirty red dress that floats around her mid thigh, and the back feels breezy in the too crowded room because, well there's no back.  
  
She's hoping that Oliver will appreciate the bare skin. Because let's face it, it's all for his benefit.  
  
Heading to the kitchen to say her hellos to Moria and Raisa and offer any help, she sees Tommy working a small crowd of girls and goes over to silently place a chaste kiss on his cheek before continuing on her route.

 

↹

 

It's only after she's exited the kitchen that she spots _him_ near the garage door in the foyer.  
  
He's straddling his new limited edition Harley Davidson motorcycle that his parents got him for his birthday today, wearing the most stupidest, dopiest grin on his face, looking like a proud little boy showing off his latest toy as a group of guys stand around him with impressed looks.  
  
She knows the rosy cheeks he's sporting is not from the temperature of the room but from the nearly empty cup of beer he's holding. The tight dark green t-shirt is doing absolute _wonders_ for the bulging muscles underneath, rippling every time he moves the handles back and forth. His jeans are undeniably _oh-so-snug_ that makes her weak at the knees just from the sight alone.  
Not to mention the backwards cap that shows a tuft of hair that sticks out from the cap loop at his hairline.

That just does _things_ to her that probably really shouldn't.  
  
He's looking like the perfect picture of sin.  
  
And it's taking all of her womanly virtues to not stride over and bang him right there and then.  
  
Oliver spots her, and she expects nothing less these days as his awareness of her has always been on point.  
He slides off the bike gracefully and strides towards her with what Felicity can only describe as her smile as his eyes shine at her brightly.  
  
"Hey beautiful," he says as he wraps her into a bear hug and then sighs in relief, "you're back.. finally!"  
  
Felicity giggles at that, of course Oliver Queen could party with a hundred of his closest friends and still make out that she's the only person he wanted there.  
  
"Happy Birthday, Oliver" she mumbles as reaches up on her tippy toes and she presses a lingering kiss on the underside of his jaw.  
  
A warm hand rests on her hip as he informs her,  
  
"Let me get you a drink, we've got your favourite red in the back.."  
  
She's in the middle of nodding when the last person she expected to show walks through the door.  
  
Beautiful - probably could out-model a real life model - Helena.  
  
Helena was that Queen Bee girl back in high school who bullied her about her nerdy looks and then later tortured her by parading the fact she could stick her tongue down Oliver Queen's throat whenever she felt like it and reminded Felicity that she was only the geeky girl who sometimes followed the two most popular boys in school around.  
  
Before she can think about what she's doing, she's hooking her thumbs through Oliver's belt loops and pulling his hips to hers.  
  
A hint of shock runs over Oliver's face but quickly turns into that famous smug smile of his.  
  
He bands his arms around Felicity's waist and she doesn't know who shivers first as he lightly runs his fingers down her bare back before settling his hands on her ass.  
He pecks her lips once, twice then the third time's a charm as he pulls back to stare straight into her eyes with intensity that warms her insides but there's a teasing smile pulling at his lips.  
  
"Oh, I see how it is. I'm _taken_ tonight?"  
  
It would be so easy to pull rank, nod prettily and whisper something seductive in his ear.  
But they're not in Boston, at some frat party where people just know them as Oliver and Felicity or Felicity and Oliver, the package deal.  
  
It doesn't work like that here, not when they're back in their home town, back in this house and especially not when BitchFace Helena is back from the past.  
  
So Felicity shyly looks down at their feet, avoiding his gaze and shrugs.

Her fingers still play with the loops at his waistband while something green and nasty fires away in the pit of her stomach. She doesn't like feeling like this but she can't help it. They're so close to having everything.   
  
" _Fe-li-ci-ty_ ," he coaxes, making her look up at him. His eyes are bouncing with amusement and his lips are tug up at the corners, "I hope this isn't about Helena Bertinelli walking through the door, you know that I didn't even put her on the official guest list, she's totally gate crashing right now."  
  
Biting her lip, Felicity shakes her head then nods sheepishly and a little breathlessly she adds, "Maybe? I don't know. But does it help that I wanted you to unwrap my present tonight?  
  
Oliver laughs out loud at that and gently places her hand over his slightly fast beating heart and says huskily while they lock gazes,  
  
"Tonight, I am yours."  
  
Even though he says it in the same tone as any other time they do this dance, Felicity can't help but think that in this moment, he has just sealed their _forever_.  
  
Then Oliver's cupping her face in his large hands and brushing a wild curl behind her ear, leaning over to put his lips on hers. As soon as they touch, it's all tongue and teeth and all kinds of wonderful.  
  
Felicity is too dazed to notice Oliver walking away from her towards the bar.

 

↹

 

Time ticks by as Felicity mingles and sips her wine before she's back on the search for the man of the hour.   
  
She finds Oliver at his bike again, leaning against it with his arms crossed while talking to a couple of his baseball teammates.  
  
She grins at the sight, he looks so beautiful standing there laughing at one of the guys. She wants to see that laugh for the rest of her life if she's being honest.  
  
But all thoughts of the future get cut short when she sees Helena and her beady eyes hovering around. She's probably sussing how to get on that bike and into Oliver's pants for some sort of sex reunion.  
  
It's not Felicity's first rodeo with Oliver Queen having a motorcycle. She _knows_ the stories, knows how every _girl_ in town wants to be the woman who gets to cling to him while riding on the back.  
  
She doesn't get to dwell on that for long before Oliver has met her eye, because of course he has, and he's rolling his eyes at Helena"s antics and then winking at Felicity.  
  
And with that, she's making her way over to him. She's a few steps out of reach when Felicity sees him pass his beer cup to a teammate and then suddenly she's yelping in surprise as Oliver lifts her up by the hips and places her on the bike.

She _definitely_ notices the way his eyes linger on the hem of her dress when it flutters around her hips before settling on her thighs when she finally sits still.  
  
"You guys remember Felicity Smoak, right?” Oliver asks before continuing on with the conversation he’s having.

The hand at the base of her spine never leaves as his fingers start to scratch lightly up and down her lower back, making sure she doesn't topple as her feet don't quite touch the petals.   
  
Felicity knows she shouldn't look, that she's better than what she's about to do but after all she's indeed Donna Smoak's, a Vegas girl through and through, daughter. Even though her mother would tsk at her if she found out but she would also hi-five her ten minutes later for standing up for herself.  
  
So she looks over at Helena to see her scowling at the sight in front of her and then Felicity gives her the biggest genuine smile that she can muster. Because what better way to take down your former bully than to show real happiness?  
  
She doesn't linger around to see a response, turning back to Oliver and his teammates, leaning into Oliver, it's enough for his hand to stop its movements on her lower back and slide under the side of the open back dress and curl around to rest on her ribs, thumb rubbing small circles there.  
  
The intimate action makes Felicity stare up to find Oliver staring back at her with a soft smile and such adoration that it stops her heart for a second before a newfound warmth pumps through her veins.  
  
The spell is broken when his teammates say their goodbyes and she gets a text, swiping across to see that their recent moment has been captured as a photo with a caption below it.

 

 _ **Tommy**_  
I expect full credit for this photo when you two use it for your engagement announcement.  
                                                                                                                       _Sent 11:23 pm_  


A blush forms, making her cheeks warm and rosy as Felicity laughs giddily and looks up from her iPhone to see Tommy standing there, giving her a mock salute before chasing after some girl. With a shake of her head, she laughs even more at their friend before giving her attention to Oliver who is still staring at her with the same look he had before.   
  
She's about to ask him about his night when he looks beyond her shoulder and chuckles,  
  
"Looks like we've got a audience."  
  
Her eyes travel in the direction of his to find Helena scowling even more than before.  
  
"Oh, she's just pissed that I get to ride this bike with you.."  
  
Grinning, Felicity turns back around to find Oliver's demeanour change completely.  
Long gone with the soft smiles and flirty banter, it's replaced with heavy eyes that are filled with lust and desire. The pull low in the pit of her stomach is now burning up with want and longing and love.  
  
"C'mon," he says in a low voice as he helps her off the bike and guides her by her hips to the staircase that leads to his bedroom, "let's give her something to really scowl about."  
  
"Wait! What about the party? We can't just lea-"

Oliver all but growls,

"Baby, it's my birthday and I’ll _do_ as _I_ please. And right now I really want to unwrap my present."

 

↹

 

Felicity's life has indeed changed when she finally leaves the house three days later.    
  
In an old pair of leggings she’s left there and a hoodie that isn't hers, Felicity makes it pass the threshold of the front door and to the steps before she hears Oliver call out playfully,  
  
"Hey girlfriend!"  
  
Turning around to see him casually leaning against the doorway with his ankles crossed and his bare torso out on full display, Felicity openly ogles him as her eyes travel down to the patch of hair that continues underneath his sweat pants that hangs low on his hips, subconsciously licking her lips.  
  
"Yes, boyfriend of mine?"  
  
As she meets Oliver's gaze, all she can see is that special smile he has for her, that makes his bright blue eyes shine like the sea and in that voice he only reserves for her, he says those three little words that have been moaned, breathed and etched into her skin for the past seventy two hours,  
  
" _I love you_."


	2. The Impossible Choice of Dinner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> vicky-vale prompted: They fight over something little and silly but both realize how stupid it is to be mad at each other and fluff ensues.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!
> 
> This fic 'verse holds a special place in my heart so I've decided to continue this as a series of one shots!   
> However, they will be in unchronological order. Each fic will have a timeline stated at the top so you'll know which order they go in.
> 
> This is my first ever prompt so bare with me :)
> 
> A BIG thanks to the lovely longlivefelicitythequeen for editing this!  
> Xx

* * *

**Monday 9th February, 2015. 8:02pm. Tommy’s & Oliver’s Apartment.**

 

The ratio of exhaustion to hunger is 70:30. Maybe even 80:20. All Felicity knows is that she’s more exhausted than hungry.

Okay, that’s a lie. Felicity’s starving and a little grumpy because of it. Her brain has been on strike ever since she put on her pyjamas and flung herself on Oliver’s couch 45 minutes ago. 

After the busy day she had, which included going to her classes and writing a code for her school’s Annual Cyber Security Competition, her brain is now complete mush. She got herself to the boys’ apartment with no excessive use of her over-worked brain. Maybe it’s a result of the grueling day, or perhaps somewhere deep down inside of her it’s ingrained that on days like today, Oliver’s apartment -which is situated between her campus and Harvard- feels more like home than her easily accessible dorm at MIT.

Her brain has decided to give up functioning without consulting her first. It clearly stopped caring that it’s a necessary organ for her to function because right now she can’t make a damn decision. She can’t even pick between two takeout options for dinner. Felicity Smoak always has an opinion on food. It’s one of her true loves in life. Whether it’s Milk Duds or popcorn at the movies, or Big Belly Burger versus a healthy wrap for an on-the-go lunch, she  _ knows  _ what she wants _.  _

So between her rumbling stomach and her non-computing brain, she’s more on the testy side of life tonight. She wants food, and she wants it  _ now _ . God dammit. It doesn't help that she skipped lunch today because she was late to class. Again. 

“Oliver,” Felicity whines for the third time since the Impossible Choice of Dinner was raised by the man sitting snug beside her. She frowns between the two old tacky menus she holds in each hand, willing something new to catch her eye. Which will not happen because she knows these menus like binary code. It’s the same question all the time: “Do you want Italian or Chinese for dinner?”   


Her bent knees are against his side, and one of them digs into his ribs when Felicity tries to get his attention away from the sports update that’s airing on the television. Oliver’s hand slides farther up her inner thigh and unconsciously squeezes before rubbing tiny circles with his thumb. Despite her frustrations, his actions send fiery tingles up her leg. 

Her best friend ignites the ever-glowing flame that burns inside her veins; It’s quite the achievement when she’s annoyed and hungry. Stupid, hot bastard and his magical touches. 

Screw that. 

The smug idiot knows exactly what he is doing. She’s been here too many times before; He’s pulling a tactical move to distract her. Felicity can’t blame him either. Oliver isn’t exactly alert himself. He just came home from baseball training where Coach Digg gave them an intense workout for an upcoming tournament.

So it’s a battle of the exhausted. The winner gets to  _ not _ think and doze while the other one gets the mean job of thinking. It won’t be Felicity this time, and she will make sure of it.

“Felicity, baby,” Oliver sighs throatily, not letting his eyes leave the TV. His fingers lightly scratch where they curl underneath her thigh as he continues, “Whatever you want is fine.”

Oh, the son of a bitch pulled out the sexy pet name card. Since they started this ‘in limbo’ relationship \- whatever it may be - Oliver learned that the husky use of the term ‘baby’ is the quickest way for her to melt like putty in hands. The other night, Felicity took the group to a tech fair at the library where she submitted a few of her projects. Halfway through the night, Oliver must have gotten bored or lost Tommy in the crowd because suddenly it was his life goal to make her all hot and bothered. He whispered orgasm-worthy sentences in ear while she tried to explain her work to others. His plan worked because Felicity soon found herself pushed against a bookshelf in the library’s restricted section with her panties around her ankles.

Pressing her thighs together and trapping his hand between them, Felicity audibly swallows and she can  _ hear  _ the smugness in his chuckle. She’s not falling for that trick again. No way, she’s too annoyed and hungry to play games. She turns her torso in his direction to find him with his eyes closed, head leaning back against the couch. His hair sticks out adorably from the baseball cap he wore at training. Frustration and a hint of anger fills her at the sight. He thinks he’s gotten away with it by  _ seducing  _ her. She’s not letting this slide, not this time. He’s gonna have to fight her on this. She isn’t choosing dinner.

“But I don’t care what we do,” Felicity hisses between clenched teeth. She leans over to jab his shoulder with a little more force than usual, hoping to get that smug look of his face and to get his attention. She’s not messing around anymore. “Just tell me what it is that you want.”   
  
“I said I’m happy doing whatever.” Oliver snaps suddenly, opening his eyes to meet her gaze, his blue eyes tireder than usual, his chiseled jaw tight.

A beat passes where all they do is stare at each other with intensity. Annoyance and exhaustion is clear in their features. Her hand hovers at the back of the couch, unsure whether he will shrug her off if she places it on his shoulder and her thighs loosen their grip on him as his hand quickly draws back onto his own thigh. Hurt bubbles inside of her at the movement and she blinks, breaking the moment. Oliver sighs loudly as he scrubs his face with one hand then tries to reach out for her.

But his movements stall when an exasperated voice floats from the kitchen.

“Jesus Christ, you guys are so frustrating!”

_ Frack. _

Felicity forgot that Tommy is here. He is most likely on his third bowl of cereal by now, trying to charm a girl via text to go hit up a frat party later on. Sure enough, when the pair turn around, they see a nicely dressed Tommy leaning against the kitchen bench. He shovels a spoonful of cereal into his mouth before wiping it with the back of his hand to catch the milk dribbling from his bottom lip.

“I will never understand why you two aren’t official yet. You’re basically an old married couple anyways, with all the stupid couple fights,” he points between them with his spoon before scooping up another mouthful, “That weird Ray Palmer from MIT legit asked me if you were hitched.”

With a scowl, Felicity stands up from the couch, losing the last bit of physical contact from Oliver and not liking the hollow feeling that comes with it but still steps away. 

“Oh, he did not, Tommy!” she huffs with a quick side glance to see their friend smirking before focusing back on Oliver and pointing an angry finger in his direction, “I’m gonna go lie down, wake me when  _ you _ decide on dinner, okay?”

With a sigh, she storms upstairs to where the warm, comfortable bed is.

↹

She must have dozed off on Oliver’s bed because the next thing she knows, she is waking to the creak of the door. Muffled footsteps full the silent room before the bed sinks beside her hip.  Felicity opens her eyes and is met with Oliver hovering over her, his hand beside her head on the pillow.

“Hey,” he whispers, voice gentle and warm as he smiles down at her, eyes bright with an emotion she can’t place. His other hand plays with her industrial earring, and he leans in further to place a sweet kiss on the spot behind her ear that makes her mewl, “I’m sorry I snapped. I’m just tired.

“I’m sorry, too. Don’t worry about it, it’s been a long day.” she whispers, burrowing into his neck while her fingers play at the hairs on the back of his head.

“I ordered us pizza.”

She hums when he nuzzles her jawline before peppering kisses there,  “Vegetari-’

“Vegetarian, no olives. I know your order, Felicity.” 

The faux annoyed tone he uses makes her giggle, and she beams up at him when he pulls back to grin at her. 

As she pushes the hair from his forehead away, Felicity’s voice is flirty and teasing, “Good, you can be my best friend for another year then.”  

His next words are a repeat of the line he told her when they first started this thing, right before he sealed it with the best first kiss of her life. She can’t help falling into him now, biting his upper lip when his lips move over hers in a passionate kiss.

“You’ll always be my best friend, Felicity Smoak.”

↹

Half an hour later, a naked Felicity sits up against the bed’s headboard, still flushed and winded from their activities moments earlier. An equally naked Oliver wraps an arm around her before picking up another slice of pizza, biting into it when he catches Felicity ogling his abs.

“Yeah, pizza was definitely a smart decision.”


	3. I'm Right Here (Why Can't You See Me?)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> imusuallyobsessed prompted: Maybe some early feelings confusion before this point where Oliver hooks up with another girl and Felicity is sad and angry???

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hey! Thank you so much for the love and prompts for this 'verse! It's been amazing!
> 
> We're heading back to high school for this prompt, with the timeline I have in my mind and the headcanon of Olicity unconsciously not kissing other people after their first kiss, this is the only time I could think of where one of them hooks up with other people. I loved this angsty prompt and it made me think more about the timeline in depth - which I hope you like as it unfolds. Feel free to come ask me questions/throw headcanons at me about the timeline!
> 
> A special thanks to longlivefelicitythequeen for always cheering and helping me!
> 
> PS. I'm so so sorry for the ending :P

* * *

**Friday 15th August, 2014. 7:46pm. Bertinelli Manor.**

 

Oliver Queen has always been her true best friend. It’s not like Tommy isn’t or anything - Gosh no, Felicity doesn't think there's a person out in the world who has met Tommy Merlyn and  _ hasn't  _ love him to death. She’s adores him like the cheesy older brother like he tries to be. But her friendship with Oliver is, well, just  _ different.  _

  
It’s like their foundation is stronger, more solidified, more in-sync.    
  
Oliver never fails to kiss her hello and good-bye on the cheek, which always results in making her blush lightly. When they hug, his arms tighten around her more than anyone else. Not to mention that he is the one who picks up his phone at 2am to listen to her babble about absolutely nothing and everything. One time, she called Tommy in the middle of the night but he grumbled something about respect for his beauty sleep and hung up on her. Now she only ever calls Oliver, and he always answers.    
  
And _god_ , the way she can pinpoint his laughter over others when she’s telling a joke. He  _ always _ laughs at her jokes and does that little head tilt that screams, "You're adorable!"    
  
Oliver is there for her during the bad times, too. He wipes her tears away and picks her up - sometimes literally - off the ground when she’s down. He can make her smile so wide when all she wants to do is cry. 

(And his smile? Felicity bets it is brighter and larger when he’s smiling at her).

Lately, since the summer started, his looks have been more heated - subtle darken gaze across the room. His touches have lingered - teasing brush of fingers against her lower hip as he pulls back from a hug,  and personal space is becoming non existent when it comes to her

So naturally, the hella crush Felicity has on him isn’t going away. 

There’s no pinpoint of a moment or a conversation where her feelings hit her right in the face, no defying second of reality setting in, harsh and loud, making themselves known to her. These feelings have been soft and quiet, lingering in the background from the day they met in fifth grade. It’s almost like they’re a fact of life, easy as the wind blowing through the trees on an autumn’s day. 

_ Felicity Smoak has a crush on Oliver Queen. _

Which is totally annoying, if you ask her. Not only it’s unbelievably  _ cliched _ to have feelings for her best friend, it’s kinda awkward too. Getting past the fact that Felicity can’t possibly talk to Oliver about it, the one person in this world who she can go to with anything and knows that he’d help her anyway he can, she has to keep her emotions in check around him.

Oh boy, and isn’t that hard when Helena  _ loves  _ to taunt her. It’s bad enough that his  _ on-again and-off-again _ fling calls her nasty names behind Oliver’s back but she enjoys single handedly reminding Felicity that she gets to stick her tongue down his throat whenever she has the chance. Felicity swears Helena has a six sense when it’s comes to her presence. There’s been too many perfectly constructed kisses outside Felicity’s locker for it to be another ‘ _ Oops sorry, I didn’t see you there! Ollie was waiting for you but I just had to see him!’ _

And ‘Ollie’? Really. It’s Oliver. O-L-I-V-E-R. The only people who can call him that are Thea and Tommy. And possibly the Lance Sisters. Felicity can see the hint of awkwardness in Oliver’s eye when anybody else calls him Ollie. The nickname is meant only for his 8 year old sister who couldn't get her mouth around his full name growing up, but over time Tommy and the other’s adapted to it for Thea’s sake.

She’s not quite sure why she’s getting fired over Helena right now. She’s been ‘ _ off again’  _ since May, Oliver calling it quits for apparently the final time. He mentioned something about finally seeing her for who she really is.

It’s possibly because tonight is ‘Helena’s End of An Era party’, only a few more weeks until they all leave for college. Felicity wasn’t even invited but her best friend hijacked her into his plus one. With that gorgeous little upturn of his lip and sparkling blue eyes, he informed her that the party wouldn't be fun without her. 

Yeah, as if she could ever say no to that face. 

God, she's apprehensive to be here. Not only she's worried about Helena’s reaction but the nervous energy that comes with a stomach full of butterflies knowing she's Oliver's plus one. That he actively wants her there by his side. That he'll otherwise be bored in an entire house filled with people if she isn't there. 

Of course, this doesn't imply that she’s his date in no shape or form but a girl can  _ dream _ , right?

“Earth to Lis,” Tommy draws out, waving a hand in front of her face as he distractingly locks his car with his other hand, causing Felicity to break out of her reverie, “ I said, are you ready to go in?”

Taking in the big opulent house that's already in full swing, Felicity shakes her head, forcing herself to be present. 

“Oh sorry. Umm yes?,” she says hesitantly, wiping her sweaty hands down the skirt of her dress, “You guys sure I look okay?”

Good grief, she’s overdressed. Yep, she’s back on the ‘ _ I-am-too-overdressed _ ’ bandwagon. How did she ever let her  _ mother _ \- a woman who does  housework in sequins - convince her to wear this out to a house party?

Her bright purple flirty dress flutters to mid thigh while the tight bodice has cut outs along her ribs, showing creamy skin underneath. Foregoing her signature high ponytail and glasses, replacing them with wavy curls and contact lenses, and bright red lips to compliment her borrowed sky high leopard print heels.

“ _ Oh honey, you’re stunning. Some guy’s jaw is going to drop tonight!” her mother had said. _

And there’s the reasoning behind the convincing. Mentioning of guys and their dropped jaws and it automatically leads to hoping and wishing that a  _ certain  _ guy’s jaw would casually fall to the floor upon seeing her.

Ugh, she knew she should’ve stuck to jeans.

“You’re  _ Smoaking  _ hot,” Tommy says with a cheesy grin, fussing with his own hair in the reflection created by the street light shining on the car window, “Ha, get it? Your- OW!”

Oliver comes around from the passenger side and slaps Tommy over the back of the head, “Really Merlyn?”

Chuckling and rolling her eyes at the exchange, Felicity doesn’t realise that Oliver is right beside her until his breath tickles the side of her neck and a soft hand cups her bare rib, making her breath hitched. Leaning down so that his lips hover closely over her ear, his hot breath sends shivers down her spine as Oliver whispers, “You look beautiful, Felicity”

His hand slides from her rib to the small of her back, pushing slightly for her to start walking and Felicity stumbles a bit as she blushes from head to toe, shyly looking down as she mumbles a thanks, letting Oliver guide her inside the house 

↹

During the night, Felicity finds herself friendless and alone by the food table. Tommy had ditched them as soon as they walked through the door,she has only lost Oliver 15 minutes ago when they were on the way to the bar and he bumped into a old friend. And who knows where Sara Lance is. Funnily enough, despite being at the same school, the two girls have actually become good friends from attending events at the Queens over the years. Finding Sara at a party is like finding a needle in a haystack. Impossible. 

So she's here, in a corner, snacking on corn chips while trying so hard  _ not _ to look like a complete loser. She scans the makeshift dance floor, keeping a keen eye out for any of her friends but only finds BitchFace Helena and her gaggle of followers dancing like idiots. 

Okay, she promises she’s trying to hold in the laughter, she’s really is but the ridiculous sight of arm jigging that these girls consider  _ dancing _ is almost too much. A small bark of laughter escapes her and Felicity tries to cover it by smacking a hand over her mouth but it’s too late. Helena looks over and spots her. Dread and guilt build up within her and Felicity closes her eyes, preparing for the onslaught that surely is coming from her Bully & Co about being here.

But instead of seeing Helena storming over in a fit of rage when she opens her eyes, the image Felicity sees is much worse. The brunette is strangely calm. She stands still with her hands on hips. Her face is expressionless when she takes in Felicity then she’s motions her head to the right. Felicity's eyes follow to find Oliver at the edge of the dance floor, searching the crowd. Her heart warms as she notices him holding two cups, her gorgeous best friend has kept his promise to get her a drink, even when they lost each other. 

Turning back around, Felicity shrugs questionly at Helena and feels her stomach fall to the floor when her bully smiles in response. It's wicked and sinister and it cuts the blonde to the core. The pure hatred that burns through the girl's eyes matches perfectly matches the smug upturn of her lips, making Felicity swallow roughly and a nasty lump forms in her throat. 

Before Felicity understands what's happening, BitchFace Helena is stalking towards Oliver and with one final look at Felicity over her shoulder, she's kissing him hot and hard.

The first second, Felicity stands in shock, willing Oliver to pull away. To do anything to stop kissing the girl. To stop the torture.

Another second passes. Arms go around his neck and lips open to deepen the kiss. Hot tears start to well up in Felicity's eyes, clouding her vision as droplets form in her eyelashes. Her head pounds and her heart shatters into a thousand pieces, chest heaving rapidly as the air feels like it's being sucked out of her. Bile rises up her throat as she barely holds it in.

Felicity doesn't even _dare_ to stay for the third second, choosing to flee through the sea of people to find the nearest exit.

She's halfway to freedom when her name is called but she doesn't stop, the need to be anywhere but there is too powerful.

↹

The air is balmy and still around her while the reckless noise of the party echoes loudly behind her as Felicity sits on the sun bed that lays on the large outdoor patio. Heavy, stubborn tears continue to trickle down her pale cheeks and she wills herself to stop crying. She will not cry over Oliver. People are allowed to change their minds and if he wants to kiss Helena again so be it. He is not hers to have. She's been here time and time again. It's nothing new to her. Each time the hurt seeps through, she has reminded herself that Oliver is only her best friend and nothing else. 

So why this time is the jealousy rotting her stomach and the hurt that's sitting on her chest is almost too much to bare?

Exhaling a shuddering breath, she tries to calm the emotions that are nearly bubbling over. It works for a second until she looks up and finds Tommy leaning against the frame of the open French doors. One look at her red rimmed eyes and wet cheeks has him stepping towards her. 

“Oh Lis” he says softly, sitting beside her and wrapping an arm around her shoulders and bringing her to his side.

The warmth and compassion in his voice breaks something inside of her, like all the work she's succeeded to stop from falling apart has come undone. A sob gets stuck in her throat as she leans into her friend. 

Tommy squeezes her tightly for a moment and brings his other arm up to encase her in a proper hug. The act is something what a older brother would do, Felicity thinks. The thought alone makes her break down and tiny sobs wrack her body, tears soaking the front of Tommy’s dress shirt. 

“I like him so much that sometimes it hurts,” Felicity suddenly cries out, not knowing where the urge to explain herself before continuing in a whimper that makes her cringe at the sound of her small voice, “Why can't he _see_ me like that?”

Tommy freezes for a millisecond before one of his hands rub her shoulder in a soothing manner. His chest vibrates under Felicity’s head as if he's about to reply but apparently he decides against it. Instead he turns his head back towards the party, almost trying to seek someone and then he whispers so quietly that Felicity has to strain her ears to hear. 

“I'm going to kick his dumb ass.”

He doesn't say it meanly or violently though, it's soft, almost like he says it all too knowingly. Information that only he knows. 

Facing her,Tommy lightly sets Felicity back and waits for her to calm down before speaking. She thinks he's about to answer her comment but he bypasses it all together. He sounds like the same kind, charming friend but there's a firmness to his voice that a trait Felicity didn't know Tommy possessed. 

“Lis, look at me,” he says, not continuing until she meets his eyes, a look in his gaze pleads with her to understand what he's about to say, “Do you know why Helena treats you like this? Calls you names? Parades Oliver in front of you?”

Shaking her head, Felicity narrows her brows confusingly and waits for her friend to finish. 

“She's threatened by you, Felicity. She's always has been. You're the biggest competition going around. Hell, the whole female population of Starling Prep sees you as that.”

_ What? _ She's competition? Felicity can’t cheer or do gymnastics to save her life and she’s pretty sure Helena isn’t joining the Mathletes any time soon. She loves Tommy but he's not making any sense right now. He better have not been drinking tonight because he's their ride home. 

Confused and flabbergasted, Felicity frowns she studies her hands in her lap before taking a minute to find her voice. 

“W-what do you mean?! How possibly can I be a threat to bitchface Helena? Thomas Merlyn, if you're drunk or high while consoling me, I swear to god-”

A boyish chuckle cuts her off and she turns her attention in his direction and sees him grin widely as he shakes his head. 

“You two are as dumb as each other, you know that right?” Tommy teases fondly. 

Before Felicity can question what he means, Tommy is standing in front of her, pulling her up by the wrist. 

“Cmon, let's get you some ice cream!’

↹

“I don't think this is a good idea.’ Felicity whispers as she timidly follows Tommy into the empty kitchen. 

Looking like he owns the joint, Tommy struts to the freezer and automatically pulls out a tub of ice cream, waving it dramatically in the air at her. 

“You wound me,” he mock pouts as he searches the drawers for the cutlery, finding two spoons and grabbing them, “You act like this is my first time stealing ice cream for a girl in need!”

Climbing the stool at the bench, Felicity settles in and rolls her eyes at her friends prior antics. 

“Of course you have. Why am I not surprised?”

Rounding the bench, Tommy rests his hip on the edge and passes Felicity a spoon and rips the lid off the tub. She smiles a thanks before studies her friend as he ungraciously stabs a spoonful of ice cream and shoves it into his mouth. 

“Tommy?”

“Hmmm?”

“You're the best brother that I've never had.”

“Right back at ya, little sis.’

↹

After sharing a full tub of delicious ice cream with Tommy, Felicity's exhausted and emotionally drained from the night. All she wants to do is go home to her warm bed and forget everything for a while. 

“You sure it's okay for you to drive me home?” She questions for the third time in row. She kinda feels bad for asking Tommy to drop her home early. 

“Felicity, it's fine. I'll drop you off then come back for Ollie.’ He says casually as he swings his keys around his forefinger and catches them with them with his thumb. 

She's grateful that he silently knows she's not ready to see Oliver just yet and doesn't offer to tell him that they're leaving. The hurt still stings immensely, it leaks out every pore and her whole body is heavy. Seeing him would only make it worse. 

They're nearly to the door undetected until a warm hand touches her upper arm. Swallowing a lump, she braces herself for what's to come. Without a doubt she knows who's behind her. 

_ Oliver _ . 

When she turns around, Oliver is looking at her curiously until he focuses on her eyes, concern immediately filling his features. 

Shit, she knows they're still red and puffy by how hot they feel. She tries to turn her head but Oliver is too fast. 

In one swift second, he's cupping her face and stroking his thumbs along her cheekbones, eyes darting all over her as he checks for injuries. 

“Hey. Are you okay?” He asks worriedly, before looking over Felicity's shoulder to Tommy, “What the hell happened?”

All the hurt and sadness from earlier comes hitting Felicity like a freight train and she suddenly needs to be far far away from Oliver's touch. She can't deal with being this close to him right now. Stepping backwards until his hands fall from her face. 

“It's nothing. I'm feeling unwell so I'm going home” she says flatly, not bothering to even hide her emotions as she wraps her arms around herself like a shield. 

Oliver's brows drop in confusion, apparently having a bad time reading the situation as he stares at her. 

“Okay, well, let me get my jacket and I'll come stay with you.” 

Felicity knows that in the morning, she will regret this. the hurt that flows from liver's body will haunt her in her dreams for an entire week but right now she's too tired and hurt to care. 

“Oliver, it's seems to me that you’re having a great time here so no, I don't need you to come with me. Tommy has it covered from here” she bites back, not daring to look directly at her best friend. 

There's a soft but reassuring voice that floats over her shoulder. It's Tommy and by the way Oliver hasn't even blinked an eye at her, she knows that the two boys are having a separate conversation with their eyes. 

“Don't worry about it, bud. I'll make sure Lis gets home safe then I'll be back for you ASAP.”

“Oh okay,” Oliver reluctantly agrees, his voice is neutral but Felicity knows by the clinched fists he's sporting, he's trying to hold it together. With one final look at him, she turns and heads toward the door. As her hand turns the handle, she hears, “Feel better, Felicity.”


	4. In This Moment Now (Capture It, Remember It)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by Fearless - Taylor Swift. Oliver picks up a bored Felicity from a MIT Fundraiser, and the two share a cute moment in the car park with a storm lazily raging above them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Sorry it's been ages since I've updated. I've been away on vacation and then had no motivation to write (looking at you, Arrow Season 5!). 
> 
> But don't worry, I'm back! I'm still taking prompts and have a few on my list. However, I wanted to write something sweet and fluffy to help me get back my mojo before I tackled your prompts! I only want the best for you guys! 
> 
> I chose an idea that has been floating around in my head for a while so I hope you enjoy this little chapter!
> 
> (Sorry for any mistakes. This is unbeta-ed and I'm a little rusty!)

* * *

**Friday 26th September 2014. 10:03pm Morss Hall, MIT.**

 

The thunder rumbling over the loud lively music of the band causes Felicity to look up and pause from scrolling through her Twitter feed where she’s sitting at an empty table. It’s an unusually balmy night for September, as most nights are cooler now and involved some light rain at best. Her trusty weather app didn’t predict heat and thunderstorms tonight. If she had known that the weather decided to go haywire, she would have stayed home. Possibly curled up on the couch with a good book. Or maybe catch up on some fanfiction. Or finally dwindle down her Netflix queue.

To be honest, she didn’t want to come in the first place. Not really. She’s just being a dutiful roommate and friend to Caitlin. It’s the MIT Biomedical Research Program’s Annual Spring Fundraiser. This year, the money will go to a well-needed upgrade of the school’s teaching labs, the decision made by a board of sophomores. It’s not like Felicity doesn’t think they are undeserving. Oh no, not after hearing Caitlin - despite only being a freshman herself - speak so passionate about the state of the labs. It’s just that.. It’s a fundraiser. It’s all fancy dresses, champagne and watching people asking old rich dudes for money.

Which is fine. Really. But when you already been to a few of these events over the years with the Queen’s and the Merlyn’s, they can get a little repetitive. They usually end up with Tommy stealing a bottle of alcohol from the bar then sneaking out the side door with Felicity and Oliver following closely behind to party somewhere else less formal.

But tonight, she’s solo. Even though she’s dressed to fit the part; a deep V-neck flowy red dress that comes to the knee with the matching red lipstick brightly painted on her lips and her long blonde hair in big wavy curls cascading down her back. She kind of feels like an imposter here. She’s not a med student. The only people she could sneak out with are the _med students_ who actually want to be there. When Caitlin asked her to accompany her to this, it was under the pretence that it was for the cause. In fact, Felicity believes now it’s something more to do with the nerves and the UST Caitlin’s having with Ronnie, a sophomore in her chemistry class.

Ironic, right? That’s what Felicity told her roommate the night Caitlin told her about him.

From the small touches and smiles she’s seeing across the room, she thinks her friend might be doing alright in that department.

Felicity smiles and gives a thumbs-up when the two girls eyes meet before scanning the room for a waiter. Before she can wave one down to ask for another drink, her phone buzzes and she looks down and grins widely.

 

_**Oliver** _

Do you need rescuing yet?

                   _Sent 10:11pm_

 

She rolls her eyes while she chuckles, thumbing the cursor to reply. Of course, _he_ knows the exact moment when she’s getting ridiculously bored. It’s like his awareness of her is so deeply rooted within him that she could be miles away and he’d still know if something was up. It’s more acute now since, you know, they’ve been sleeping together. Well, she’s not quite sure if they can call _it_ that.

Technically yes, there’s been _sex_ . Wonderful, magnificent, earth shattering sex. But it’s only happened twice since they’ve arrived at college and it’s wasn’t like they’d planned it or anything. It just had happened. The first mind-blowing time was after the stupid Cooper Sheldon debacle. Ugh, she wasn't even going to waste brain matter thinking about that idiot. And last week, they had _spontaneously combusted_? Like a ticking time bomb from the moment Oliver had invited her to a dress up party at Harvard. There were definitely drinks involved, a lot of lingering looks and some flirty banter, and the next minute they found themselves up against his apartment door while she screamed out his name in pleasure.

Despite the excellent sex, Felicity doubts if it’s ever going to happen again. It’s like the perfect, heart-melting kiss they shared after the misunderstanding at Bitchface Helena’s party. A once off. _Never-going-to-be-repeated_ type of deal. Okay, she might be lying about that. They have kissed since - during sex, _duh_ . Boy, how feverish and hungry those kisses were. All tongue and bites and breathy moans. They’re completely _sex crazed_ kisses. Be as that may, it’s not like the single action of kissing is going to arise any time soon. Or sex for that matter.

They haven’t even talked about what happened those two times, completely ignoring the fact and continuing on like nothing has happened. In a way, she wishes they did. Being in love with your best friend is hard enough, let alone bringing sex into the mix. Maybe they could be more, but if he didn’t feel the same way? She could lose him forever and that would kill her. So maybe ignoring the fact that they are sleeping together is for the best.

She quickly taps out a reply.

 

_**Felicity** _

I like to think I can rescue myself, Mister! Warrior princess hacker and all :P But yes, seeing that you’re offering - I am quite bored. Let me check with Cait.

                                           _Sent 10:13pm_

 

_**Oliver** _

I know you can, Warrior Prince Hacker! But I want to see you. On my way x

                                                                                                    _Sent 10:14pm_

 

A small giddy giggle escapes her as she reads their texts once over, remembering the time Tommy had called her that after an unfortunate video had leaked to the media and she managed to intercept it in time before it got too much coverage. Placing her phone into her clutch, Felicity stands and makes her way over to her friend to check if it’s okay for her to leave. She won’t leave if Caitlin needs her. No matter how much she wants to go, if her friend wants her to stay then she will. Never break the bond of the girl code. Plain and simple.

She’s nearly about to tap Caitlin on the shoulder when the brunette turns with a sheepish look on her face.

“Felicity! Just the person I wanted to see!”

Frowning at the nervous laughter in her friend’s voice, her tone is wary when she replies.

“Is everything okay, Cait?”

“Everything’s great. Ronnie asked me if I wanted to go get a milkshake at the diner down the street when this finishes,” Caitlin beams with a bright smile, she’s basically jumping in joy as she clutches at Felicity’s hands. Suddenly, her grip tightens and a concerned frown takes over her features as she continues, “but will you be okay to walk back to the dorm by yourself? I won’t go if you don’t feel-”

Cutting her friend off immediately, Felicity puts up a hand in a stop signal. She’s so happy that one of them has _finally_ made a move. She loves her roommate so obviously she deserves to be happy.

“Oh my goodness! That’s amazing! Of course, I’ll be fine. Yes, GO! Have fun.” the blonde says enthusiastically, pulling Cait into a hug before letting her go, “Actually, I was coming to check with you if it was okay for me to leave. Oliver’s coming to pick me up.”

“Oh,” Caitlin laughs knowingly, “Well, this works out for the both of us then."

Giving Cait a hug goodbye, Felicity makes it a few steps towards the door before turning back around.

“Cait?” She yells out.

“Yeah?”

“Tell me everything tomorrow, okay?”

↹

Stepping out through the door towards the adjacent carpark, Felicity feels the air crackle around her as the thunder claps above and the lighting illuminates the sky. She takes in the smell of rain that lingers in the air, dampness still evident on the glistening pavement. She enjoys nights like these, something about them seems magical. Like anything is possible. It’s weird, she knows but there’s a strange calm presence to it.

She stops at the curb of the footpath and looks away from the sky to see Oliver already waiting for her. The sight takes her breath away. His biceps are _gloriously_ on display from under the snug t-shirt he wears as he leans against the hood of his car with hands tucked inside his jean pockets. The stance is so ridiculously hot that it makes her mouth water. Not to mention, the gray color of his shirt makes his beautiful wild blue eyes pop, perfectly complementing the small half grin that’s upon his chiseled face.

Ugh. it’s so unfair how _gorgeous_ he is. Seriously, he’s only literally standing there casually and Felicity has to stop herself from drooling. And possibly from getting indecent exposure charges. Because she would really, _really_ , like to take him on top of that hood right now.

Looking up, Oliver spots her and smiles one of his Felicity smiles, eyes shining brightly. He gives a little wave before running a hand through his short hair before putting it back in his pocket.

Holy frack, and if that move doesn’t make her absentmindedly want him more.

Biting her lip, Felicity starts to walk towards Oliver when he pushes off the car and heads her way. They meet in the middle, his boots are only inches away from her glittery heels. The stark contrast makes her shiver despite the heat of the night.

The motion doesn’t go unnoticed by the man in front of her. His eyes darken and fill with intense desire when she tilts her head to meet his gaze, then his sight flickers to her red lips before holding her own lustful eyes again.

“Hi,” Oliver says huskily, hands still firmly in his pockets but Felicity swears she sees them twitch. Almost like he’s stopping himself from reaching out for something. For her, perhaps. Or maybe that’s her wishful thinking.

“Hi,” She whispers back, tucking a curl behind her ear nervously before looking down and fiddling with her dress, but her attention is drawn back up as he speaks.

“You look stunning tonight.” He says softly while pulling his hands out of his pockets to gesture to her form.

“Oh, thank you. So do you,” Her reply is so automatic that Felicity barely registers what has flown out of her mouth. Her brain catches up a second later and she groans in embarrassment as her cheeks flush wildly. Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, because _hey_ , he is stunning after all but this is a very bad time to go down that path - when her lady parts are obviously taken the reins and invaded her brain, “I mean- It’s just that- You do casual so _well_. With the jeans and the t-shirt. And the muscles. Oh and that scuff. Yep, the scuff is good. Excellent job. Well done, DNA.”

Apparently, one of her signature babbles is needed to break the charged moment they are having because Oliver laughs loudly. Nothing says ‘unsexy’ like a babble. She’s kind of thankful for the pause in the intensity. They’ve been weird tonight. It’s never been like this before. There's always been a buildup of tension before they reached a breaking point. A trigger of sorts, that made them collide together in a heated moment. Flirty and fun is their default setting, a natural ease that they have with no other. But this? A thick, sizzling connection from the second they greeted? No. It’s like the tension in the air has rubbed off on them.

Oliver nods his head towards the building, where the music from the band floats out and the muffled sound reaches the car park.

“Did you have fun?” He asks with an easy smile.

Sighing, Felicity huffs and scratches her forehand in thought.

“You know how these things get. Fun until it’s not. But they’ve raised a lot of money for the labs. And Caitlin’s having a good time. So that’s all that matters.”

A small hum in agreement leaves Oliver’s chest as he gently reaches for Felicity’s hand and secures it into his large one. Suddenly, he twirls his best friend around, making the skirt of her dress fan out.

“So, no one asked you to dance then?”

Pure giddiness bubbles up inside of her as the world around her blurs, the only thing she can make out is the sound of the thunder. Letting out a bubbly giggle, Felicity feels her dress lightly settle back into its rightful place as she comes to a stop. She’s about to answer Oliver’s playful question with a laugh but when she finally focuses on the guy that has spun her around on the imaginary dance floor of the car park. The sight makes her breath hitch and her heart stop. He’s looking at her with a wide grin, a streak of lighting behind him accentuating his dazzling features in the glow of its golden flash. His eyes are dark but they crinkle with mirth and, if she had to guess, adoration as he still holds her hand tightly before slightly licks his lower lip.

She only has a second to take a steadying breath before she’s being pulled to him. His left arm wraps around her tiny waist, drawing her closer to him so there’s no space between them. His right hand gathers hers so their joined hands lay lightly against his pec. Settling her other hand on his shoulder, Felicity instinctively leans her head in the crook of his neck and sighs wistfully as she lets Oliver sway them to the slow beat of the song that’s coming from the building.

To a bystander, Felicity knows this looks crazy. Two people slow dancing in an empty college car park, with a storm, lazily raging above them and the danger of a downpour is prominent. Frankly, right in this moment now, Felicity hasn’t had the heart to give a damn. Not when she’s wrapped up in her best friend’s arms, feeling so safe and loved. And fearless. Like nothing bad can reach her here. She smiles into his neck at how powerful that thought is as she feels Oliver’s warm breath across her jaw.

The mood changes after that, both of them pulling back slightly and their foreheads meet. Oliver never stops the swaying motion as they stare deeply into each other’s eyes, their noses gently rub as their breaths mingle. It’s Felicity who folds first under the heavy moment, her eyes flickering shut and inhaling the musky scent that is a mixture of Oliver and the dew in the air.

Caught off guard, she let’s a surprised ‘eep’ out when she feels the soft pressure of lips on hers. Her brain goes into meltdown when she finally processes that Oliver is kissing her. Like actually kissing her. No buildup. No urgent need to rip clothes off. No neediness. Only kissing. It’s sweet and slow and amazing. It’s reminiscent to their first kiss but somewhat more. Especially when his tongue traces her bottom lip, seeking permission to deepen the kiss. She happily gives him access and when he slips his tongue against hers, she whimpers. The feel of him exploring her mouth slowly is intoxicating and the way she can savor his taste is beyond words.

However, it’s over too quickly for Felicity’s liking as a loud clap of thunder makes Oliver jump and pull back slightly. Not a single word is spoken as they try to get their breaths back, both of them heaving as they stare at each other, noticing their swollen lips and flushed cheeks.

A beat passes, and it’s then Felicity only realizes that she’s still in Oliver’s hold because he’s letting go and stepping back. There’s no time to be hurt by the obvious space he’s creating because he’s chuckling, almost disbelievingly. And _god damn it_ , it’s contagious. She’s laughing too. It’s a happy nervous one but she doesn’t think too in depth about why she’s feeling nervous because it turns back into her normal amused laugh as she studies the confused awe expression that is etched on her best friend’s face.

“What?” She questions with a playful faux pout, laughter evident in her voice.

“Nothing. It’s nothing,” He says a little wistfully. He tugs on her hand, pulling her to the car and opens up the passenger door as he guides her in, “How about we go get ice-cream?”

Pausing with one leg inside the car and using her left hand to steady herself on the opened door, Felicity grins and she hopes her face reveals how much this moment that has transpired between them means to her.

“I thought you’d never ask.”


	5. You Can Hear It in the Silence (You Are In Love)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> molliepop (and a few of my other readers!) prompted: I would love to see a hurt/comfort fic where felicity is somehow hurt…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey loves!
> 
> Another chapter is here! A lot of people had asked for this, so I hope I did it justice!
> 
> Just a little heads up, I'm currently working on my first ever solo multi chapter fic! It's very dear to me as it's something that I've always something to me as the idea means a lot to me. It's called: Hide Away {We Could Be Beautiful}. If you're interested about what it's actually about, please feel free to ask! I would love to see if you're keen to read as much as I am to write it.
> 
> So if I don't update this for a while, that's why! I'm definitely not abandoning this at all, so keep the prompts coming!!
> 
> Thank you so much for your never-ending love and support!
> 
> Xx

* * *

**Friday 1st May, 2015. 1:03am. Boston General Hospital’s ER.**

Somehow the sight before him breaks his heart even more. 

He thought the image of Felicity hunched over the toilet in his ensuite was his limit. The way she held her right side of her stomach and fought back tears from the pain, trying to put on a brave face for his sake was more than his heart could handle when he rushed to her side. 

But now, sitting in an uncomfortable chair under the harsh clinical lights of Boston General Hospital, it's clear that there's no limit for how much Oliver's heart can hurt upon seeing his best friend in agony. 

She shifts slightly in his lap, her legs come up to rest on the empty seat beside them, trying to seek some relief from the throbbing in her stomach. Shifting his hold on her as she moves, Oliver's careful to not to jostle her. Even when he’s itching to shift in the cramped plastic seat and stop the pin and needles that are threatening his right foot. She’s in too much pain as it is, he’s not going to cause her more by moving. The slightest touch or movement has her whimpering with tears welling enough to tempt falling from her clumped eyelashes. 

The concerning thing is that not even a hour ago, Felicity craved the gentle pressure of his hand on the tender area, sighing whenever he cupped her soft tummy. 

“ _It_ _helps to take away the pain. Please, Oliver.” she begged as she wriggled closer to the warmth of his chest._

Soft hands rest on her ribs, thumbs rubbing small circles underneath her breast as Felicity nudges her head into the crook of Oliver’s shoulder. The slight bending action has her inhaling a sharp breath of pain and turns to bury her face into the side of his neck before she starts to quietly cry. 

“Shh. Shh.” Oliver soothes softly, cupping the back of her head before kissing her neck lightly. Feeling the warm dampness of her tears on his neck brings back the sadness that has filled him from the moment he knew he couldn’t take her pain away. He hates the fact he can’t do anything to help her, except to whisper calming words in her ear, “Breathe, baby.”

The shuddering sigh she takes fans across his jaw and he can feel her gulp for air a few times before she settles back into her original position. The action soothes the sting in his heart a little. Wiping at the wet patch on the edge of his collar, Felicity winces as she tilts her head to meet his eyes.

“I-I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to do that. It feels like I have a quiver of sharp arrows stabbing me in my stomach whenever I move.” She whispers sadly, eyes dim with unshed tears and Oliver hasn’t seen Felicity’s face so pale before. It honestly scares him how sick she looks right now. She looks so small and fragile in his navy blue Harvard sweatshirt. The sleeves engulfing her tiny hands as she fists one hand over his heart while the other one pulls the hem over her legging clad knees. Usually Felicity wearing his clothes is downright  _ sinful,  _ setting his veins on fire. But tonight it only causes worry to flood through them.

“Hey, please don’t apologise. It’s not your fault you’re in pain. Hopefully we get called soon.” Oliver says softly, peppering kisses across her hairline while rubbing her spine up and down before giving the grumpy nurse at the front desk a glare. If only his looks could kill.

He knows it’s not the disgruntled desk nurse’s fault that the ER is understaffed tonight. He knows that she can’t put Felicity on the top of the list just because he  _ asked _ her to. And yes, he might have tried slipping her $100 in order for her to make that happen. But Oliver hates feeling so damned helpless. He wishes they were back in Starling, where his family’s name and power means something. He could actually do something useful instead of helplessly holding the very sick love of his life in his lap.

It’s taken him far too long to figure out he is  _ truly  _ in love with Felicity. Of course in high school, he knew he loved her. In some way or another. But he had been so caught up in his playboy persona that he didn’t even realised that his feelings were definitely more than friendship. The extent of how deep his love ran for Felicity only hit him smack bang in the face when they arrived at college and the thought of her being with that asshole Cooper made him sick to the stomach. Although, he should thank that loser because technically he’s the reason why all of  _ this  _ started in the first place; the very  _ awesome _ sex Oliver gets to have with his beautiful best friend. An underlying current of unspoken love running through their veins whenever they kiss.

He has wasted so much time by not realising how much he loves her. It should terrify him that the blonde in his arms holds his heart completely. A heart she doesn’t even know she’s holding. Tommy says he should stop being a coward and tell her. That ever present smug smirk of his other best friend teases Oliver like the whole world knows something that he’s oblivious to. Deep down under all that doubt and fear, he knows too. He can tell by the breathless way Felicity moans his name and how the way her gorgeous eyes fill up with intense adoration whenever they have sex. But the small ounce of doubt in him overpowers the hope within him and tells him maybe that's just it. That maybe it's only sex for her. The thought of losing her over a hopeful assumption on his behalf will kill him. Losing whatever they have now, losing their lifelong friendship. It’s not worth the risk. So his lips stay sealed.

A small moan pulls him out of his thoughts and he looks down to see Felicity snuggling further into his collarbone. The hand that has been clenching his shirt flattens out across his heart and her droopy eyes begin to flicker shut. Despite her current state, Oliver can’t help but flash a tiny smile towards Felicity. She’s fighting the obvious exhaustion that’s luring her to the dark side. Blinking slowly, her dazed eyes widen in attempt to stay open as redness begins to show through. The true testament of her tiredness is when she huffs with a pout and let's her eyes fall shut. Clearly admitting defeat, she nuzzles her nose into him and sighs dramatically as she can while being ill.

“I’m just resting my eyes for now. Don’t let me fall asleep, ‘Kay?”

Oliver hums in amusement at how Felicity word’s slur, the exhaustion winning the battle. It’s one in the morning and he’s impressed that she’s even make it this far. The day hasn’t been kind to her. The stomachache she woke up with had worsen as the hours went by and the vomiting had only stopped when they’d arrived here. The strength and humour she continues to show today has pride and admiration running through his veins. She has handled this situation with class, not even complaining when he drove over speed bumps that had her wincing in pain. 

Damnit, he just wants her to feel better. 

“Why don’t you take a nap?” He suggests, pushing her hair away from her damp forehead and softly kisses her closed lids.

“But what if they call my name? I can't be seen with drool marks!” She murmurs nervously, subconsciously checking her mouth.

Laughing quietly, Oliver rubs her back with soothing circles. Of course, she's worried about drooling in her sleep. Forget that she's doubled over in agony and burning up a fever. God forbid that Felicity Smoak gets caught with salvia in the corner of her pretty pink lips. 

“I got you,” Oliver states seriously. He wouldn't let anything happen to his girl. He's pretty sure he'd die for her if it meant no harm came to her. She's everything to him. But now isn't the time to get caught up in his feelings. Instead, he teases her, “And I'll wipe any drool off you if it's necessary.”

“You would actually do that for me?” She teases back lightly, all energy is lost though as she slurs before the last word comes out as less than a whisper and her breath evens out. 

“Always”

To be honest, Oliver would wipe away any of Felicity's drool for the rest of his life if he has it his way. 

↹  


Sitting in another cramped chair on the opposite side of the hospital, Oliver squeezes Felicity's hand in silent comfort as she shifts anxiously in the hospital bed as they listen to Doctor Robert’s prognosis. 

“It's a pretty simple procedure. From the moment we get you down to the OR and the anesthetist comes, it'll only really takes 45 minutes to remove the appendix itself. And the recovery time is very speedy too. You'll be home with your boyfriend and eating ice cream in no time!” the young doctor explains brighter than she should at 2am. Quickly skimming over Felicity's medical chart and checking her watch before making another note on the page, “Do either of you have any questions?”

It's funny how they both don't flinch anymore at being called a couple. The first time it happened, Felicity blushed so hard that she turned the colour of a tomato and Oliver had laughed hysterically while his best friend babbled about how unthinkable they were as a couple. It feels like forever ago now. These days, it's easier to go with it rather than explain. He grins widely at the thought that the doctor thinks he's the doting boyfriend. It's not far from the truth anyways, at least for him. So it doesn't feel fake when it happens, a secret thrill runs through him every time. He won't ever admit it but he likes the fact people assume that him and Felicity are together. 

A question about the aftercare of the wound is on the tip of his tongue when he suddenly feels the heavy tension rolling off Felicity in waves. Looking over to find her white as a ghost with fear written in her crystal blue eyes, trying to swallow before she speaks to the doctor. 

“Oh. Right. I guess it's bye bye appendix. Although after today, I'm definitely not a fan of them. They're not going on my favourite organ list. Not that I have one but if I did, those suckers wouldn't make the cut,” she babbles tightly. Oliver notices how her cheeks turn pink as she never takes her eyes of the woman in front of her, even when her hand crushes his in a fix hold. 

Something about the way she's acting is odd. Oliver can sense it. She's an open book to him when it comes to her emotions. He's not gloating about it, it's the matter of spending most of his life studying her. And right now, it's more than the fear of needles and the nerves of having the operation. Because he's feeling the nerves too. The worry fills his chest like a balloon, all of this has been overwhelming especially when they're both bone tired and have no idea what's ahead. She's must be feeling double what he is but there's something else going on too. It's a dead give away when she doesn't meet his gaze. 

“I was wondering Doctor Roberts,” Felicity continues timidity, her hand feels damp in his. He tries to get her attention to silently tell her it's okay to ask whatever she wants. She's not budging though. Not daring to steal a glance in Oliver’s direction, the ignorance causing his brows narrow in confusion as he continues to stare, “When the anesthetist comes.. Can I- May I, uh, I mean, Can my b-boyfriend-”

Oliver's heart beats double time and his blood runs to his ears as everything but Felicity fades away. 

She's calling him her boyfriend.

Oh god, he has never heard anything so perfect before. He guesses she's only keeping up the appearance in front of the doctor. Although they go with the flow, they've never fuelled it like this. Not once have they called each other by the label that people define them as. Hope and peace wash over his entire body, filling him from head to toe as he beams in awe. Finally, Felicity looks over at him with a shy little smile and Oliver can't help but give her a wink before linking their fingers together and bring them up to kiss her knuckles. 

“I think what my  _ girlfriend _ ,” he tries to say with a neutral lint, but fails when the emotion in his voice is heavy. The moment between them gets too much, causing him to break their gaze to look at the doctor, “is that she has a bit of a needle phobia and was wondering if I could go down with her please?”

“Aw. of course, Felicity! This one can definitely hold your hand while you drift off to sleep,” the young woman says with a smile and pats the blonde on the leg, “Now, let's get this show on the road.”

↹

“Baby, you’re shaking.”

Oliver leans over and runs his fingers through Felicity's messy curls. His face is inches from hers, creating an intimate bubble so that the chaos surrounding her bed can be ignored. 

“It's just nerves.” Felicity whispers in reply, her warm breath fanning across his lips. 

“You're okay,” he coos, placing a light kiss on her cheek, lingering for a moment. He can't believe how brave his girl is. She literally shaking out of fear but she's not cowering down. It's takes a special person to do that and Oliver's glad that she's one of the lucky ones, “I'm going to be here the entire time.”

Before she can get a word in, the anesthetist steps over and starts prepping her hand with numbing cream. 

“Are you ready, sweetheart?” The man in his mid fifties says sympathetically, rummaging around on the tray until he picks up the large needle. 

A strangled whimper leaves Felicity's throat as she nods. Her eyes grow in shock when the needle comes into view, tears immediately welling. For the hundredth time that night, Oliver’s heart breaks as he cups her head and gently turns it towards him.

“Hey. Hey. Look at me,” he whispers firmly, hoping that the distraction helps to take some of her panic away. The distress that runs through her face sends a chill up Oliver’s spine. Her blue eyes meets his and then he's kissing her in an instant, pouring as much love, pride and hope as he can, showing how much she means to him. Pulling away enough that their foreheads rest together, he notices that the anaesthetic is starting to work as her eyes fight to stay open. 

“Close your eyes, Felicity,” he murmurs softly, lifting his head to kiss her temple when she drifts into an induced slumber, “Sweet dreams.”

The last thing he says before they wheel her away to the OR makes him the biggest coward in the universe. Tommy has every right to call him that. Because instead of saying it to her face, he utters it into the cold space of the hospital room.

“I love you.”

 

**Sunday 3rd May, 2015. 10:13pm. Tommy’s & Oliver’s Apartment.**

 

A comfortable silence hangs in the air as Oliver watches Felicity pad across the room in his rumpled dark green t-shirt as she slips under the covers next to him. 

“Home sweet home,” she breathes, but her words turn into a moan when he wordlessly grabs her and pulls her to him. Wriggling until she's settled under his chin and his arms tightly wrapped around her, she continues her thoughts as her dewy breath hits his warm skin, “Well, not home  _ home _ . But you get my drift..”

He hums in agreement. He knows exactly what she's trying to say. They're might not be in Starling and this apartment feels homely enough but Oliver has a sneaky suspicion that they're not discussing a building when mentioning a home. And his home is neatly tucked against him safely while she idly draws patterns on his bare chest. 

“How are you feeling?” He asks, kissing her forehead and gently tracing around the white square bandage on her stomach. 

“Fine,” Felicity says, shifting in his arms so she's trapping one arm underneath her back while his other hand stops playing with the bandage and comes up to brush her hair off her face, “it's still tender but nothing a painkiller can't fix.”

The operation went according to plan. The surgeons had Felicity in and out in record time, which his heart is thankful for. What it isn’t thankful for is the long two day recovery she had to endure. It was absolute torture for him to watch her experience sleepless nights as nurses came to check on her every few hours and real food was a no-no after the surgery. It was also torture because it caused Grumpy Felicity to appear. And that side of his best friend is definitely  _ no _ fun without food or sleep.

A tap to his chest gets his attention. He looks over to see Felicity biting her lip as bright blue eyes hold his. Oliver doesn’t think it’s possible to see anything cuter than when she resumes her tapping and lets out a big yawn. Her eyes blink languidly and her voice is laced with sleep.  

“Thank you for everything, Oliver. You didn't have to stay with me.”

“There's no other place I would rather be”

It may be a cliche, but it’s true. Apart from being on the receiving end of her Loud Voice numerous times, Oliver wouldn’t have been anywhere else but at Felicity’s side. Grumpy Felicity and all. 

A comfortable short lull creeps up on the pair as they lay in each other’s arms, happy to let the peacefulness of the night wash over them. Letting his mind wander, Oliver is suddenly remembers a particular moment before Felicity went into surgery. The words bounce around in his head like a ping pong ball, taunting him like the prospect of  _ them  _ is almost believable. He shouldn’t be tempted to go down that path. To disturb the natural progression of whatever they have going on. There’s too much at stake here. But he needs to know, even if it shatters his heart in two.

No wonder why the cat got killed,  curiosity is a bitch.

So with a heavy tongue, he breaks the silence.

“You called me your boyfriend.”

“And you called me your girlfriend.”

Another beat passes where the reality of what they’ve said sinks in around them. The atmosphere is saturated with uncertainty. Dread sits heavily in the pit of his stomach as the silence drags on. Felicity shifts awkwardly and looks toward the door before turning back to look at the ceiling. 

Shit, he has ruined  _ fucking _ everything. It’s his own fault too, opening up his damned mouth because he latched onto something that wasn’t there. Of course, she was only pretending. Oliver can feel his pulse race and his body tenses despite the sleepiness that lingers beneath as he thinks of a way to salvage this. His tongue sticks to the top of his mouth, trying to find the words that’ll come across as teasing to hide how truly devastated he feels. However, his best friend beats him to the punch.  

“I think we need to talk. You know, about the  _ unspoken _ thing?” Felicity says slowly like she doesn't want to spook him. Her voice is calm and soft but the way her hands fumble to push up her non existent glasses. A nervous tick that Oliver knows all too well, “And I don’t mean Voldemort either. Well, I do have some points I’d like to raise on the subject. I think I wrote them down-,” She shifts to face him, and her hand goes up to cover her face in annoyance at her ramble, nearly hitting him in the process, “but that’s totally not the point right now. The fact is, we need to talk about the  _ other  _ thing.”  

His body loosens in relief at the way the moon highlights the faint blush she’s sporting and the adorable babbling thing she’s doing tells him that she’s affected too. And not in a bad way. Like they’re on the same page and that’s not going to change for a very long time. Whether they talk now or not, Oliver has a feeling that his life is about become a whole lot more richer. A surprised chuckle leaves him as he shakes his head in awe, staring at the hopeful eyes that look up at him.

“And what would that be?” Oliver teases, voice raspy from the mixture of the easing tone and the tiredness of the day. 

“Oh Holy Google, you are going to make me say it. Aren't you? Felicity mumbles before sighing in defeat when Oliver shrugs cheekily, “Argh. The excellent sex we're having! There, I said it.”

“Excellent?,” he questions teasingly, raising a flirty eyebrow. Feeling smug at the way his best friend flusters at the description she uses, thinking she’s giving too much away, Oliver smirks while adding, “I'd say amazing sex. Mind blowing sex even.”

“Yeah, yeah. Don’t get ahead of yourself, mister,” she retorts back, slapping him on the shoulder and laughing as he faux winces. Suddenly her mood turns serious as Felicity cups his jaw and strokes his scruff lightly with her thumb. The action sends tingles along his jaw, “But seriously, we also need to talk about the feelings we both know that are between us. I don't know about you but it’s more than physical attraction on my side. My feelings for you are strong, Oliver. Like Hulk  _ strong _ .”

It’s like something deep inside in him snaps, the unsettling feeling he felt from not knowing what she thought all this time flies away. He can’t do anything but kiss her as happiness and love bubbles out of him. He can’t believe that his girl feels the same as he does. They’re one step away from having everything. When he finally breaks the kiss, Oliver can feel Felicity’s huge grin resting on his lips.

“Felicity,” He breathes reverently, tucking a stubborn curl behind her ear before pecking her lips. Mustering as much emotion and love he can into his words, praying that she’ll understand what he’s trying to say, “You must know I feel it too? You mean so much to me, baby. You are my best friend. And I hope after we’ve talked that you know  _ exactly _ how I feel about you.”

Shock and amazement wash over Felicity’s face when she leans back to survey his face. Oliver hopes she finds what she’s looking for. She obviously does, because she lets out a little gasp.

“Oh. When are we gonna talk about this?”

“Well, tonight is out because we can barely stay awake for this conversation,” Oliver yawns. A giggle escapes Felicity as she yawns too and nods in agrees,  “And I leave for that baseball boot camp tomorrow and then you leave for starling the week after. So how about we set aside the Sunday after my birthday party?”

“Mmm, sounds good.” Felicity hums as Oliver starts to place warm, wet open kisses along her neck. He smiles when her breath hitches as he sucks on her pulse point. She squirms underneath him, ready to seek more friction as her hips grind into his. Fire ignites his veins as she moans sleepily into his ear as she does it again and pulls his mouth to hers. He’s about to sneak a hand under her shirt when she pulls back abruptly and pushes on his chest, “Wait! We're not going to see each other for two weeks?”

“Unfortunately so. I thought we talked about this the other day?” Oliver frowns as he hovers her. He clearly remembers the discussion they had when they watched a movie in her dorm room. 

“Yeah but that's before we discussed feelings. And the  _ sex _ .” Felicity pouts frustratingly, sliding her palms around his neck to come rest at the nape and playing with the short hairs there. “We finally openly talked about our amazing sex for the first time and now we have to hit pause on it. Unfair!”

Groaning, Oliver bows his head to plant a small kiss on her jaw. After the conversation they’ve had, it’s going to be hell to be away from his girl. And not to touch her. To not kiss her. To not be inside of her. And when she jolts her hips into his, he silently curses himself for agreeing to sign up for this boot camp. For a second, he thinks about ditching it completely to stay here with Felicity, but he knows he needs to go if he ever wants to make the state try outs.

The spot behind his ear stings before there’s a warm lick soothing the pain away. He’s more than aware what Felicity’s trying to do. She’s trying to seduce him into making that horrible two week separation more bearable. It’ll be so easy to let her. All she will have to is moan his name then tug at his boxer briefs and he’d be sinking into her wet heat. But they can’t. Not tonight. Not after the surgery. She’s still sore and he wouldn’t ever do anything to harm her. 

“I'm sure we'll manage, baby.” He whispers huskily, returning the favor behind her ear. She groans in annoyance and he laughs, hands tracing over her ribs. Although they can’t have sex, they can still have  _ fun  _ as his pinky innocently slips under the band of her cotton underwear.

“Well, your birthday better come around fast.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reviews and kudos make my world go round, lovely people!
> 
> Come and say hi to me on  
> Tumblr: beinmyheart  
> Twitter: beinmyheart8

**Author's Note:**

> Reviews and kudos make my world go round, lovely people!
> 
> Come and say hi to me on  
> Tumblr: beinmyheart  
> Twitter: beinmyheart8


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